Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui shines again in this intriguingly probing dark sociopolitical noir

Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders movie review

Raat Akeli Hai’: The Bansal Murders movie review

Bang on target right from the word go, ‘Raat Akeli Hai’: The Bansal Murders’ doesn’t waste any time and begins with the close up of Chitrangada Singh who discovers dead crows and a head of a pig placed near the gate of the Bansal mansion. Enters Inspector Jatil Yadav (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who is asked to be discreet about this incident by his senior DSP played by Rajat Kapoor.

Jatil finds something strange and awkward in the Bansal household which seems to be in control of a god woman played by Deepti Naval. The next day the whole Delhi and the entire nation is shocked to hear the news of members of the Bansal family brutally murdered allegedly by their own family member a young drug addict played by Delzad Hiwale. The star journalist of her times and daughter in law played by Chitrangda Singh survives along with her children – ten-year-old son and her young daughter played by Aarushi Bajaj. Who is the killer, of course, the truth is not what is seen from the naked eyes?.

And once again, Nawazuddin not as a criminal or the common man strikes superbly rising from the traditional mainstream macho cop or the one who keeps on chewing something (though he loves to cook for his love played by Radhika Apte (Honey Tehran has done this unforgivable crime of reducing such a talent to just a couple of scenes this time). Coming back to the plot, the layers of truth, corruption, conscience, morality and class divide philosophically puts the stakes higher. Its raw, edgy, eerie and gory at times, Revathi as the forensic expert brings that unexpected rawness when she enacts the crime scene.

Tehran this time also gets a good ensemble and tries his best to give them some meaning and arc in their roles but doesn’t succeed fully. Ila Arun as Jatil’s nagging mom, Sanjay Kapoor as the rival Bansal and Akhilendra Mishra though quite good are one dimensional. Injustice to Radhika Apte has already been mentioned. Apart from Jatil, the characters played by Chitrangda Singh (very natural), Deepti Naval (unexpected surprise), Rajat Kapoor (always dependable), Revathy (very good) have shades and interesting arcs to their roles and last but not the least, Priyanka Setia gets a strong meaty character and she is fabulous.

The writing by Smita Singh is based on the old school whodunit but the socio economic, corruption conscience gives it an edge.

However, the writer and director never for a second forget the golden rule, the mantra given by masters – keep the viewer constantly guessing and like the previous one ‘Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders’ – hits the bulls eye.

Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders movie review – final words

‘Raat Akeli Hai’: The Bansal Murders’ – though Honey Trehan doesn,t enjoy the first film advantage and now after the gripping ‘Raat Akeli Hai’, ‘Raat Akeli Hai’: The Bansal Murders’ his second crime whodunit comes with unutilized talent and potential, it still holds the viewer/its target audience for its entire two hours twenty nine minutes duration, it’s an intriguingly probing dark sociopolitical noir.

Going with three and a half star (3.5/5) for ‘Raat Akeli Hai’: The Bansal Murders’.

Produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures, ‘Raat Akeli Hai’: The Bansal Murders’ is streaming on Netflix from December, 19, 2025.